Wheelbarrow.



M. 0. RICKARDS.

WHEELBARROW.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-3. I914.

Patented Oct. 26, 1915.

Merrill ajzdzmds Ira 2 COLUMBIA PLANUGRAPH C0,, WASHINGTON, D. c.

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MERRILL 0. RICKARDS, 0F FALLS CITY, NEBRASKA.

WHEELBARROW.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented B ot. 26, 1915,

Application filed December 3, 1914. Serial No. 875,278.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, MERRILL O. RIOKARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Falls City, in the county of Richardson and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVheelbarrows, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wheel-barrows and like vehicles, and has for one of its objects to provide a simple attachment for a wheel-barrow whereby the load may be dumped from either side or forwardly, as may be preferred.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereafter shown and described, and then specifically pointed out in the claims; and in the drawings, illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the inven tion, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved device; Fig. 2 is a plan view; Fig. 3 is a plan view with the load holding tray detached; Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of the rotative annular member; Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of the stationary annular base member; and Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of one of the clip devices for supporting the ro-tative annular member upon the annular basememher.

The improved device may be applied to any of the various forms of wheel-barrow frames, but, for the purpose of illustration, the improved device is shown applied to a conventional wheelbarrow frame including side members 1011 having hand-grip portions 1213 at one end and connected by transverse members 11. Brackets, indicated at 15-16, are connected to the forward ends of the side members 1011 and are pro vided with bearings to support the axle 17 of the bearing wheel 18, these parts being of the usual construction, except that the transverse members let may be placed at different distances apart than in an ordinary wheelbarrow frame. The frame members 1011 are supported by the usual standards, one of which is represented at 19.

In handling certain kinds of material, it is frequently necessary to dump the load forwardly of the barrow, and also'necessary to dump the load laterally from one side or the other, and the construction of the tray of the ordinary wheel-barrow is not conveniently adapted to dump except from one side or the other. The principal object of the present invention is, therefore, to so arrange the load-carrying tray of a wheel-barrow that it may be rotated to locate the discharge side to either side 01' forwardly, as may be preferred.

The tray may be of any required form and of any required material, but, for the purpose of illustration, is shown formed of pressed sheet or plate metal and represented as a whole at 20 with the body portion relatively large and semi-globular and extended at one side into trough-like form, as indicated at 21. By this means the contents of the tray may be readily discharged through the elongated and contracted portion 21, and the load thus delivered at any required point, and without danger of scattering the load while being dumped. The tray 20 is mounted'for rotation upon-the frame of the barrow, and means are provided for locking the tray at any desired point relative to the frame, ltigidly connected to the upper face ofthe frame members 10-11 and one pair of the transverse members 1 1, is an annular base member 22, and mounted for rotation upon the member 22 is another annular member 23, the two members 22-23 being preferably precisely alike with the member 23 rotative upon the upper face of the member 22. A plurality of clips 21 are connected to the frame members 1011 and bear over the rotative annular member 23, and serve as guides to retain the member 23 in position relative to the member 22, while at the same time permitting the member 23 to rotate freely upon the member 22. The tray 20 is connected by suitable bracket devices 25 to the rotative annular member 23, and thus partakes of the movement of the latter. portion 21 of the tray may be disposed at any required point relative to the supporting frame, so that the load may be discharged at any desired point. Generally the load is discharged only forwardly of the frame or to one side or the other; hence it is not necessary to provide for holding the tray except with the discharge 21 dil rectly forwardly or to one side.

Attached to the rear transverse member 141 is a guide member 26, and attached to one of the intermediate members 11 is another guide member 27. A bolt 28 operates through the guide members 2627 and is provided with a spring 29 to hold it yield.-

By this simple means the discharge ably in one At one end the bolt 28 is slightly enlarged, as shown at 30. The member 22 is provided with a notch 31 into which the enlarged terminal 30 of the bolt is normally engaged by the action f the spring 29. The member 23 is provided with a plurality of notches 32 spaced apart and adapted to register one at a time with the notch 31, so that the member 23 may be locked relative to the member 22 at points corresponding to the location of the notches 32, when the enlarged terminal 30 of the bolt engages the registering notches, as will be obvious. Any required number of the notches 32 may be employed, but generally three will be suflicient, one in alinement with the longitudinal plane of the tray to hold the latter with its discharge terminal forwardly, and one of the notches 32 at each side to enable the tray to be locked with the discharge terminal 21 at one side or the other. An operating lever 33 is pivoted at as to a bracket 35 attached to the rearmost transverse member 14; and

pivoted at 36 to the bolt 28. The handle portion 33 is convenient to the operator when standing between the handles 12-l3, so that the tray may be conveniently adjusted, as required. 7

The improved device is simple in con struction, can be manufactured at a small increase of expense over the ordinary barrow, and will be found very convenient for use in connection with building operations, more particularly when concrete and like compounds are employed, which are required, to be dumped into chutes or like receptacles.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A vehicle of the character described comprising a support, a base member mounted upon said support and having a recess in one edge, a member mounted for rotation upon said base member and having a plurality of marginal recesses registering one at a time with the recess of the base, a plurality of guide clips carried by said base member and engaging said rotative member, one of said clips having a guideway, a load receiving tray connected to said rotative member, and a spring pressed bolt operating through the guideway of said clip and engaging the registering recesses of the base and the rotating member.

2. A vehicle of the character described comprising a support, an annular base member, an annular member mounted for rota tion upon said annular base member, a plurality of guide clips carried by said annular base member and engaging said annular rotative member, a load receiving tray connected to said rotative annular member, and means for locking said rotative member to said base member.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MERRILL O. RICKARDS. [11. s.]

Witnesses:

ALBERT MAUn'r, T. J. BEAUCHAMP.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. C. 

